Use of stretched canvas as a preferred medium for painting is well known in the art. However, traditional methods, apparatuses, and assemblies for stretching the canvas to a desired tightness, whether before or after painting or other inscription of an image thereupon, often require specialized tools and skills, and therefor specialized personnel. Accordingly, proper stretching of the canvas to a desired tightness can be both time consuming and expensive.
For example, purchasers of (unframed) canvases having artwork inscribed thereon are often obligated to retain professional framing services to stretch the canvas to the desired tightness on a frame base or stretching assembly having stretching members or bars, which may themselves form a frame base. Subsequently, the canvas may be hung on a wall or other structure by hanging the frame base or stretching assembly with the stretched canvas thereupon. Alternatively, once the canvas is stretched on the assembly, a decorative frame moulding may be connected or mounted on the assembly to provide a desired aesthetic effect. In either case, the canvas must be transported to the framing service, stretched and framed, and then transported back to the purchaser on the frame base. Obviously, this process, in addition to the cost of the stretching and framing, involves the cost, and time, of transport of the canvas to the framing service and of the canvas on the frame base back to the purchaser. These costs can be prohibitive, especially for larger canvases and/or for situations where the framing service is situated at long distance from the purchaser.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved canvas stretching assembly.